tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.comments2023-08-09T08:41:52.677-07:00Film & Discussionweepingsamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-64439722823470790092009-08-30T16:27:41.801-07:002009-08-30T16:27:41.801-07:00Good to hear from you!
I don't think it'...Good to hear from you! <br /><br />I don't think it's that unusual for Frances McDormand to take a year or so off - she seems to pick projects pretty carefully - working on the Coen brothers stuff, and a few other films - usually for women directors, it seems (Friends with Money, Laurel Canyon, Aeon Flux - interesting...) She makes most things worth seeing, by herself.weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-54272313562811432172009-02-02T09:43:00.000-08:002009-02-02T09:43:00.000-08:00Hi there...found your blog through a comment you l...Hi there...found your blog through a comment you left at The Moviezzz Blog.<BR/><BR/>For a best-ever tagline, I nominate the tag from one of my all-time favorite films, <I>The Thing:</I><BR/><BR/><B>Man is the warmest place to hide.</B>FilmFatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16572370403623288465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-48504023026868823942009-01-23T19:25:00.000-08:002009-01-23T19:25:00.000-08:00Interesting - it's a boring slate of best picture ...Interesting - it's a boring slate of best picture nominations, but it was a boring year. I'm not sure the academy could have done better - I might have preferred The Wrestler or Rachel Getting Married or Happy Go Lucky to the films nominated, but they aren't significantly different - they're the same type of films, not that much better or worse. I haven't seen the Dark Knight, but I'm willing to take people's word that it was a worthwhile film - the Lord of the Rings movies got nominated - I'm not sure why this would be different. I haven't seen Wall-E either (no real excuse for that, I know) - again, people say it's good, I believe them (Pixar films generally delivering)... Considering the animation nomination the equivalent of best picture is ridiculous - animation is, basically, another technical award - why that disqualifies films from best picture is beyond me. But it seems to be the case - though the academy has no track record at all with science fiction, so....<BR/><BR/>Even so - I don't know if those 2 films would have been much better than the ones that were nominated... They would have been more interesting, anyway. They are films people are likely to argue about. It would be better to have films argue about the films that are nominated instead of the ones that aren't. Of the nominees, the only one people are every going to care about as a film after this year is Benjamin Button, and it's not all that good a film - just made by an important filmmaker. I suspect that Dark Knight and Wall-E will have far more shelf life than any of the nominees... <BR/><BR/>Though if it were up to me, I would saymt he film that should be winning the Oscar - the one American film I saw from last year that lives up to the standards of 2007's crop - ambitious, substantial, highly accomplished, featuring a fascinating star turn and a tour de force of writing and direction, worthy of comparison to Zodiac (what is wrong with the world when this is overlooked at Oscar time and the new Fincher, an altogether duller affair, is rewarded?) or There Will Be Blood (if not quite as good as those films) - if Letters From Iwo Jima could be nominated, there's no reason for another war movie in a foreign language not to be nominated - I say, the best American film of the year was Che. Best of all, it would have made them cry at <A HREF="http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/" REL="nofollow">Big Hollywood</A>.<BR/><BR/>Finally - the academy missed a rare chance - why didn't they find a way to nominate Waltz With Bashir for best foreign film (they did), best animated film, and best documentary? (I'll leave aside the fact that it's also better than any of the best picture nominees...) That chance can't come up that often....weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-67909206141424093862009-01-23T08:56:00.000-08:002009-01-23T08:56:00.000-08:00"Oscar nom nom noms"...is that like "birdie num nu..."Oscar nom nom noms"...is that like "birdie num nums"?<BR/><BR/>An interesting look at an admittedly lack-luster year. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the foreign-language film category -- several movies from abroad were far more accomplished and engaging than any of the arty statue-bait that Hollywood churned out this year, so it seems a little ridiculous. I agree completely about WALL-E, but I can empathize with the Academy's decision. Had WALL-E been nominated for Best Picture and lost (which would have happened) it would have been slightly embarrassing, seeing as how WALL-E is a much more poetic and entertaining film than any of the other Best Picture nominees. WALL-E was segregated out of fear -- "how we can we be letting a cartoon beat us?", that sort of thing.<BR/><BR/>Interesting statement here: "THE DARK KNIGHT is a superhero movie, and it made lots of money so it technically doesn’t need Oscar validation." I'm not sure I totally agree, primarily because it's hard to imagine anyone truly "needing" Oscar validation: do sheer ticket grosses make a great film? Do the opinions of a narrow-minded society that uses its dominance for nepotism and marketing ploys to assure the machine of Hollywood runs smoothly one more year make a great film? <BR/><BR/>I understand your point, though -- the Oscars' job should be to offer an alternative to popular opinion and support the awareness of film art with carefully calculated awards. It's a shame they don't do that. But I also think that (in an ideal world) if popular opinion and genuine art intersected (and it's happened before) that the Academy should recognize that, too. I don't quite think TDK is an example of this rare situation, but I also think the Academy's snub had more to do with pride -- nominating a "superhero movie" would have surely eradicated the very last, dwindling hope that the Oscars are devoted to serious film of any kind.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, also a note that Sam Juliano will be discussing some of these issues in <A HREF="http://brightlightsfilm.blogspot.com/2009/01/announcing-bright-lights-wonders-in.html" REL="nofollow">our upcoming Oscar series,</A> so the conversation will no doubt continue...Joseph "Jon" Lanthierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00826623899121215596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-62637998685286506742009-01-08T18:24:00.000-08:002009-01-08T18:24:00.000-08:00I still want to do this with pictures, like everyo...I still want to do this with pictures, like everyone else, but I have been terribly lazy, and want to post something, so I am going to make a list. Are these in order? I doubt it. I will almost certainly want to change this immediately after I hit post, but that's all right.<BR/><BR/>1. Barbara Stanwyck - this part at least is in order; she is number 1.<BR/>2. Marlene Dietrich - she is #2<BR/>3. Ginger Rogers<BR/>4. Setsuko Hara - now I'm more into grouping them by country...<BR/>5. Hideko Takamine - the star of most of Naruse's later masterpieces.<BR/>6. Kinuyo Tanaka - star of some of Mizoguchi's greatest films, but in the 30s, in several of Ozu's - great great actress.<BR/>7. Catherine Deneuve<BR/>8. Isabelle Huppert<BR/>9. Anna Kerina<BR/>10. Jeanne Balibar - Rivette's leading lady, lately<BR/>11. Emmanuelle Beart <BR/>12. Emmanuelle Devos - Arnaud Desplechin's muse<BR/>13. Brigitte Lin - if this were in order, she'd be higher, maybe #3 - she has Dietrich's pure star power, a commanding presence - as well as the ability to be touching, emotional - even buried under layers of makeup and gender confusion. <BR/>14. Maggie Cheung - in some ways, I look at her as Stanwyck to Lin's Dietrich.<BR/>15. Julie Christie - obviously....<BR/>16. Ingrid Bergman<BR/>17. Julianne Moore<BR/>18. Gena Rowlands<BR/>19. Lillian Gish<BR/>20. Nicole Kidman<BR/><BR/>Plus: 5 supporting actresses - who either don't have enough lead roles, or I have not seen them enough, or they are rather one dimensional - or just I want to put them somewhere....<BR/><BR/>1. Catherine Keener - who needs to star more often<BR/>2. Jean Harlow - who needed a longer career<BR/>3. Isabella Rosselini<BR/>4. Joan Blondell - who needed to star more often too<BR/>5. Charlotte Ramplingweepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-49764448209093290592009-01-05T21:49:00.000-08:002009-01-05T21:49:00.000-08:00Kudos, Mike, for including "My Blueberry Nights" o...Kudos, Mike, for including "My Blueberry Nights" on your list. I don't understand the "meh" attitude towards this film. I love it. "Shotgun Stories" as well.<BR/><BR/>I've got about 10 or so more movies to watch before I finalize my list.. namely "The Wrestler" and "Revolutionary Road" this week sometime and a few odds and ends in the Netflix queue such as Rivette's "Duchess" film, "Baghead" and Hong Sang Soo's "Woman On the Beach". I'll cross post my list here once complete.Joe Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10160822944514723178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-38170800650374796212009-01-05T18:55:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:55:00.000-08:00I'm mad at myself for leaving Sigur Ros off my mix...I'm mad at myself for leaving Sigur Ros off my mixlist, though I have a nasty habit of referring to all of their songs as "The One That Goes..." and then attempting some horrible approximation of the melody with my modest vocal talents.<BR/><BR/>I do know which one is "Gobbledigook", cus that was the closing number at their concert, which I'd list as my best concert of '08. There were confetti cannons. It was glorious.Mike Dochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618828720030868498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-70938356898832609822009-01-05T18:22:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:22:00.000-08:00I am definitely confused by the dates - too many g...I am definitely confused by the dates - too many good films from last 07 probably, and the fact that I set out to post a more representative <A HREF="http://listeningear.blogspot.com/2008/05/best-of-2007-better-represented.html" REL="nofollow">Best of 2007</A> list in May probably confused the issue. I usually try to discipline myself around this time of year - only count films that played in a commercial theater in Boston during the year... do the best of the year later... Looking at your list, though, reminds me of one of the strange effects of this policy - La France was nowhere to be found. It's listed as a 2007 film - I saw it in July - at the Museum of Fine Arts as part of a festival - so I didn't put it on my top 10 releases, or top 10 for 2008 - and I saw it too late to put on even the late 2007 list. Though it's probably a good sign of what kind of year 2007 was for films, that it probably wouldn't make that top 10... it would make this year's top 3 if it had been released properly....<BR/><BR/>Anyway - here's a link to my lists: <A HREF="http://listeningear.blogspot.com/2009/01/best-films-of-2008.html" REL="nofollow">movies</A>, <A HREF="http://listeningear.blogspot.com/2009/01/music-2008.html" REL="nofollow">music</A> - and here are the lists, without frills. And with Edge of Heaven restored - somehow it disappeared off the best of list when I posted it...<BR/><BR/>Released, 2008:<BR/><BR/>1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days <BR/>2. Flight of the Red Balloon<BR/>3. A Christmas Tale<BR/>4. Exiles - from 1960...<BR/>5. Don’t Touch the Axe<BR/>6. Edge of Heaven - left it off the original post, but it belongs on here<BR/>7. My Winnipeg<BR/>8. Encounters at the end of the World<BR/>9. Man on Wire - nice little run of documentaries there this spring and summer... <BR/>10. Chop Shop<BR/><BR/>...instead of Rohmer's Romance of Astree and Celedon - which I'm not sure was actually commercially screened - it was at the MFA, though I think it had a whole week's run - but I can't remember for sure...<BR/><BR/>Music: you can see the best records above - not that it's very exciting, being a bit of a down year for my music buying (and listening, for some reason.) This is the CD I burned to proselytize my brothers - I don't know if I'd call it representative, it's mostly the obvious choices, but it's what I liked....<BR/><BR/>-TV on the Radio - Halfway Home & Dancing Choose<BR/>-Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Hopscotch Willie<BR/>-Sigur Rus - Gobbledigook<BR/>-Raconteurs - Top Yourself<BR/>-REM - Supernatural Superserious [dunno if I would include this if it were for me - though this is a pretty decent song]<BR/>-Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Albert Goes West [what REM should sound like] and Dig Lazarus Dig!!!<BR/>-Mercury Rev - Snowflake in a Hot World<BR/>-Melvins - the Kicking Machine<BR/>-The Kills - What New York Used to Be<BR/>-Fleet Foxes - Sun it Rises & Oliver James<BR/>-Earth - Omens and Portents I: the Driver [this record and the TV on the Radio record are the ones I will be listening to as the years go by...]<BR/>-Dungen - Samtidigt 1<BR/>-The Duke Spirit - This Ship was Built to Last [one of those records I wonder if I gave up on too soon - I started listening to it at the end of the year and began wondering if I screwed up...]<BR/>-Boris - Statement [I can't get enough Michio Kurihara]<BR/>-Beck - Modern Guilt [he's still hanging around, still pretty good...]<BR/><BR/>I should add a couple things - like: best music discovery: 2 post-punk giants.... first, not quite a discovery, since I had heard songs here and there, seen videos on YouTube, but could never find any records - this year not only did I actually find a copy of The Pop Group's "Y" - but bought a bunch of Mark Stewart records... quite good... And Second - though maybe even better - bought Young Marble Giants' Colossal Youth - a genuinely wonderful record... <BR/><BR/>Movies - a really good year for retrospectives - Oshima, Minelli, Claire Denis, Lucrecia Martel, Jose Luis Guerin, Oliveira, Losey.... I'd somehow managed to get this far as a movie geek without seeing a single film by Vincente Minelli [that is a lie: I saw Cabin in the Sky on TV a long time ago, but had no idea that it was Minelli, just that it was very cool] - so the Minelli retrospective was certainly a high point.weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-61863454639956661842008-12-28T08:48:00.000-08:002008-12-28T08:48:00.000-08:00I still haven't mustered the energy to do one of t...I still haven't mustered the energy to do one of these lists - especially with screengrabs. Now that the holidays are over, I must! I must!weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-12270441447765490332008-09-09T11:09:00.000-07:002008-09-09T11:09:00.000-07:00I fully intend to participate, but this week is in...I fully intend to participate, but this week is insanity. Coming soon...Mike Dochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618828720030868498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-21897654171492466572008-09-03T18:02:00.000-07:002008-09-03T18:02:00.000-07:00His voice is totally ubiquitous. It's odd - I reme...His voice is totally ubiquitous. It's odd - I remember him more for the lame ones - the dull Euro-art films and third rate thrillers and oscar bait - then for the good films. Like the ones <A HREF="http://somecamerunning.typepad.com/some_came_running/2008/09/in-a-world.html" REL="nofollow">Glenn Kenny</A> singles out. (Actually, I guess that post is Aaron Aradillas...) All the "In a world..." jokes - those came from the forgettable films, the purple prose trying to cover up for the inanity of what was advertised. But with good copy? the body count in Friday 13th, or just describing the Godfather films? that's good stuff, and he could sell it...weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-86497375701995205662008-09-02T19:34:00.000-07:002008-09-02T19:34:00.000-07:00Darn. Sorry I didn't do the link correctly.Darn. Sorry I didn't do the link correctly.FunkiFilmiGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07529544985140995109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-80548062583432390882008-07-25T14:58:00.000-07:002008-07-25T14:58:00.000-07:00Hendricks is perfectly cast (she also played an ex...Hendricks is perfectly cast (she also played an extremely skilled conwoman in two episodes on FIREFLY.) It's funny; I can't recall a lot that happens in a given installment of MAD MEN, but it's just a pleasurable viewing experience, as perverse and grim as it can be sometimes. The atmosphere is perfect, down to the little touches (like serving cocktail shrimp at a meeting with a Jewish client.)Evan Watershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17263250766060234515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-40081350060331402542008-07-20T15:48:00.000-07:002008-07-20T15:48:00.000-07:00it looks interesting - hard to say if it's any bet...it looks interesting - hard to say if it's any better than anywhere else. They seem to have a strong classic Hollywood bias -and some connection to TCM - which is no bad thing, but might be a limitation... Worth poking around, but there's more or less no end of places to talk about films online, and it gets daunting, and it's hard to hang around a place long enough to get a true feel for it...weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-68932658787715274402008-06-23T17:07:00.000-07:002008-06-23T17:07:00.000-07:00It took a while to realize they were including for...It took a while to realize they were including foreign films. I was almost shocked to see All About My Mother - I thought, are there 2 films called, All About My Mother? I suppose that's not the first foreign film on the list, but the ones that beat it starred an American or were written by Americans, so maybe they don't count....<BR/><BR/>Enough kvetching. So do you mean, 9 not on the list, or just 9? I will combine! ha ha ha!<BR/><BR/>Best 9 on the list:<BR/>1. Blue Velvet<BR/>2. Rushmore<BR/>3. Breaking the Waves<BR/>4. Do the Right Thing<BR/>5. This is Spinal Tap<BR/>6. Groundhog Day<BR/>[what? what? what the fuck? what the fuck? it IS a <A HREF="http://lazyeyetheatre.blogspot.com/2008/06/bizarro-days.html" REL="nofollow">bizarro day</A> list!]<BR/>6. Pulp Fiction<BR/>7. Full Metal Jacket<BR/>8. There Will Be Blood<BR/>9. Evil Dead II<BR/><BR/>And Not On The List:<BR/><BR/>1. City of Sadness (Hou)<BR/>2. Inland Empire (Lynch)<BR/>3. Fallen Angels (Wong)<BR/>4. Yi Yi (Yang)<BR/>5. Satantango (Tarr)<BR/>6. Vanda's Room (Costa)<BR/>7. Peking Opera Blues (Tsui)<BR/>8. Brazil (Gilliam)<BR/>9. O Brother Where Art Thou? (Les Freres Coens)<BR/><BR/>And Groundhog Day.<BR/><BR/>I should add - as I have said a couple other places - if you are willing - and able - to look for them, there are still as many great films being made as ever. I still don't know how the decline of theatrical showings and the increased availability of DVD will play out in helping people find them...weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-82691615711488873352008-06-23T14:19:00.000-07:002008-06-23T14:19:00.000-07:001. Casino2. Magnolia3. Heat4. Laws of Gravity5. Th...1. Casino<BR/>2. Magnolia<BR/>3. Heat<BR/>4. Laws of Gravity<BR/>5. The Big Lebowski<BR/>6. Goodfellas<BR/>7. The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford<BR/>8. The Double Life of Veronique<BR/>9. The Thin Red LineJoe Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10160822944514723178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-2719895231710377432008-05-28T11:32:00.000-07:002008-05-28T11:32:00.000-07:00Well, my review has been in the positive, though I...Well, my review has been in the positive, though I do think this is possibly the lightest installment in the series, and the action isn't quite as brutal and visceral. That said, I don't think this is enough to outright ruin the picture, and there are some good incidental moments- what this put me in mind of was the shot after they've gone over the waterfalls, of Marion kind of spaced out and gripping the steering wheel. It's partly for laughs but it's also a moment of "wow, did we just live through that?" Similarly, though Indy's survival of the atomic test is really stretching things, the shot of him looking up at the mushroom cloud is utterly brilliant both as a visual and a sign of the times.<BR/><BR/>That said I'm not sure how useful these direct scene comparisons are, because those scenes are aiming for different things. It works as a sign of Marion's resourcefulness and adventuresome spirit, but it's not the major beat that the "leap of faith" is.Evan Watershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17263250766060234515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-81755683130747939372008-05-27T19:23:00.000-07:002008-05-27T19:23:00.000-07:00Mike,Totally agree with you. You can check out my ...Mike,<BR/><BR/><BR/>Totally agree with you. You can check out my rant on my blog.Joe Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10160822944514723178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-45640901428840627632008-05-27T18:45:00.000-07:002008-05-27T18:45:00.000-07:00It's odd - I've been to a lot of games, but have n...It's odd - I've been to a lot of games, but have never seen anything historic - came closest once in Candlestick park - Padres were playing SF; the Padres starter - the non-ambidextrous Greg Harris - broke his finger bunting after 2 hitless innings: Rich Rodriguez came in and threw another 4+ innings of hitless ball - losing the no hitter in the 7th. Giants ended up winning, 1-0. Thanks to the magic of the internets, you can see the box score at <A HREF="http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN199206210.shtml" REL="nofollow">baseball-reference.com</A>. But most trips to the ball park are a delight - though I admit, somewhat shamefully, the were more delightful when you could go at will, rather than plan it out years in advance. (This may not apply outside of Boston.) But there have been some thrills - Pedro striking out the first three batters on 9 pitches; seeing Jacoby Ellsbury play his first major league game - beating out a routine grounder to the shortstop in his second at bat; going to the first game after the 94-95 strike, buying a ticket for $5 and sitting in the first row over the visitor's dugout; a couple extra inning pitchers duels - John Tudor and Bob Stanley going 13 and losing in one - back in the dark days of the 80s... Walking out of Camden Yards one July night because Tony LaRussa was running through his entire bullpen in the 6th inning - I haven't forgiven him for that... the fact that I have been to more stadiums that no longer exist - Veterans stadium; three rivers; candlestick - than that currently exist - Fenway and Camden Yards...weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-77277522691989946462008-05-27T09:49:00.000-07:002008-05-27T09:49:00.000-07:00Awardless and mixed-reviewed though it may be, I'm...Awardless and mixed-reviewed though it may be, I'm still looking forward to Atom Egoyan's "Adoration". Fractured timelines and Arsinee Khanjian are my idea of heaven. And "Ararat", which I loved, got similar reactions, so I have hope.<BR/><BR/>I look forward to anything by the Dardennes, and the Eastwood film sounds swell. Seems like "Un Conte de Noel" met with unanimous praise, so that's one to see.<BR/><BR/>No matter how grim a portrait the critics paint of this crop of films...I'm still gonna see 'em. Funny thing, that.Mike Dochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15618828720030868498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-21976888216177975302008-05-25T19:19:00.000-07:002008-05-25T19:19:00.000-07:00For ten years in a row (1995-2004)I visited Chicag...For ten years in a row (1995-2004)I visited Chicago to see the Cubs play. Unfortunately I couldn't keep the streak going, because of credit card debt that I decided I had to take care of.<BR/><BR/>The most historic moment I was blessed to witness was Sammy Sosa tying Hack Wilson's team record for home runs in a season (56) in 1998. I even snapped a picture that I blew up to an 8X10 and have hanging on my bedroom wall.<BR/><BR/>Less significant but treasured moments nevertheless were such as seeing a night game and feeling the cool breeze around my neck on a summer night while sitting near the left field foul pole, and thinking "this is the life..."<BR/><BR/>Or my very first Wrigley experience (which was my high school graduation gift from my father) and having been delayed getting to the ballpark by historic flooding, and thinking we'd miss the game but nevertheless trudged on, and arrived just in time to see Keith Moreland hit a 3-run homer that broke it open in the 4th inning of a game against the Mets in 1987.Erikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12960561846743844018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-87143607996331481552008-05-19T22:49:00.000-07:002008-05-19T22:49:00.000-07:00Almost at .500 now after the 12 inning loss to Min...Almost at .500 now after the 12 inning loss to Minnesota tonight. And any no hitter is nice, no matter who throws it.<BR/><BR/>And FYI.. I'll be seeing the Red Sox play in August... at Camden Yards no less! My brother and I are roadtripping it out to Washington DC to visit friends for a week and a half and we purchased tickets to a Wednesday night game in Baltimore against the Red Sox. Pretty psyched about that.Joe Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10160822944514723178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-17455107332239779972008-05-17T18:14:00.000-07:002008-05-17T18:14:00.000-07:00It's odd that this has become the movie people are...It's odd that this has become the movie people are talking about - all those bad reviews, followed by a kind of anti-backlash of positive comments... But there it is, and all the back and forth puts it in terms that made me a lot more curious about this than about any of the other hollywood films around...<BR/><BR/>I'm for it. It's a great looking film - completely enjoyable. All the eye-candy doesn't get in the way of the story, does a good job of putting it over, even. (The story sometimes gets in the way of the eye-candy, though - whenever there has to be some exposition or character development, the film sags for a while, though even that could be worse.) And it is all put together so remarkably well - the gorgeous colors, the constant motion, the clever editing, back and forth in time and space and in and out of people's heads - it's a trip. Everything is on the surface, without apologies, and everything seems to be there because it would be <I>fun</I>... The races sometimes do look exactly like video games, complete with those stupid little comments games throw in - but even when they do, sooner or later, things speed up so much that you forget it - everything blends and smears, and, what can I say? It's a treat.weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-42891960698661233982008-05-17T08:37:00.000-07:002008-05-17T08:37:00.000-07:00I completely agree, the narrative does tend to be ...I completely agree, the narrative does tend to be overlooked. <BR/><BR/>Having only seen this one film in Antonioni's oeuvre I can't possibly comment on his overall approach to film however I can't imagine his work differing too much from L'Avventura. <BR/><BR/>The film's narrative structure is the closest I've ever witnessed that's anywhere near with the complexities of a novel. <BR/><BR/>I like what you guys have to say on this blog and I'm glad I found you by chance. Would you like to do a link exchange at all? I would happily add you to my blog roll, hopefully you'd consider adding mine. <BR/><BR/>Hope to hear from you soon. ThanksRic Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17380112108360267457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7328044635245211188.post-64964179308064993922008-05-13T17:35:00.000-07:002008-05-13T17:35:00.000-07:00I've been meaning to comment here since you posted...I've been meaning to comment here since you posted... sometimes I'm too lazy for my own good. But this is an extraordinary film. It's odd - I don't think it gets enough credit as a story, sometimes - because it's a very fascinating piece of narrative. The way the point of view migrates - the way it splits the structural plot from the emotional plot. It's following Sandro, basically, the action is really centered around him - but it's all told from the women's point of view. I think it's subtle character explorations, the story structure, etc. does as good a job of approximating the effect of the modern novel on film as anyone: it's different from Bergman and similar directors, because they seem to work more like modern theater - Antonioni's films have the interiority of novels... <BR/><BR/>Which makes an odd contrast to the way they look, and the importance of the way they look... I sometime feel like I'm running on different tracks, when I think about his films: if I think about about the stories, characters, etc., they run one way; if I start thinking about what you see and hear on screen - it's like a different film. Both are damned good though.weepingsamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885871104310819374noreply@blogger.com